Neuroplasticity of the visual cortex: in sickness and in health

Brain plasticity refers to the ability of synaptic connections to adapt their function and structure in response to experience, including environmental changes, sensory deprivation and injuries. Plasticity is a distinctive, but not exclusive, property of the developing nervous system. This review introduces the concept of neuroplasticity and describes classic paradigms to illustrate cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying synapse modifiability. Then, we summarize a growing number of studies showing that the adult cerebral cortex retains a significant degree of plasticity highlighting how the identification of strategies to enhance the plastic potential of the adult brain could pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches aimed at treating amblyopia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Finally, we analyze how the visual system adjusts to neurodegenerative conditions leading to blindness and we discuss the crucial role of spared plasticity in the visual system for sight recovery.

Automated summary

Brain plasticity refers to the ability of synaptic connections in the brain to adapt their function and structure based on experience such as environmental changes, sensory deprivation, and injuries. Despite being more prominent in the developing nervous system, studies have shown that the adult cerebral cortex also retains a significant degree of plasticity. Strategies to enhance this plastic potential could lead to novel therapeutic approaches for treating amblyopia and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Additionally, understanding how the visual system adjusts to neurodegenerative conditions and the crucial role of spared plasticity in visual system for sight recovery is important for treating blindness.